Dr. John IRVING

Born: Abt 1760, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Unmarried: Ann MARSH

Died: 3 Sep 1795, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia aged about 35

Other names for John were IRVINE and IRWIN.

General Notes:

A resident of Lincoln, U.K., at the Assizes of the Castle of Lincoln on March 6, 1784, he was sentenced to "seven years beyond the seas" for larceny - he stole a silver cup out of the house of Frances Clark, of Grantham, widow.There is some reason to believe that his original sentence was for death, but this was reprieved and changed to transportation - an Order in Council dated 15.7.1785 to this effect is in existence. John was 24 when he was received on board the hulk Ceres , from which he was sent to Portsmouth by waggon on 24.2.1787 for embarkation on the Scarborough on 27.2.1787. He was, in fact, mustered on this transport by Major Ross on March 13, but was escorted to the Lady Penrhyn on March 20, 1787 by John Easty.On the voyage and at Port Jackson, Irving quickly proved his worth, acting as assistant to the surgeon. On 22.2.1790, he was appointed by Governor Phillip to go to Norfolk Island, where he would be the assistant surgeon to Dennis Considen, and the remainder of his sentence was remitted, making him the first convict to be emancipated."I am very glad that Irvin goes with us, for I think him the best surgeon among them", wrote Ralph Clark, noting that he was to be considered as "restored to all those rights and privileges from which he had been suspended". Irvine went to Norfolk Island on the Sirius on March 4, 1790, working there until his return to Port Jackson by Supply on 14.5.1791. He was often referred to in dispatches by Governor Phillip as being "bred to surgery".He worked in Sydney hospital, he died 3-9-1795Comment from Beryl McMillan

John had a relationship with Ann MARSH. (Ann MARSH was christened on 16 Aug 1767 in Buckland Brewer, Devonshire, England and died on 7 Mar 1823 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.)